Visual Studio and NET Framework Glossary Flashcards
.NET Compact Framework
A hardware-independent environment for running programs on resource-constrained computing devices. It inherits the full .NET Framework architecture of the common language runtime, supports a subset of the .NET Framework class library, and contains classes designed exclusively for the .NET Compact Framework. Supported devices include personal data assistants (PDAs) (such as the Pocket PC), mobile phones, set-top boxes, automotive computing devices, and custom-designed embedded devices built with the Microsoft Windows CE.NET operating system.
.NET Framework
An integral Windows component that supports building, deploying, and running the next generation of applications and Web services. It provides a highly productive, standards-based, multilanguage environment for integrating existing investments with next generation applications and services, as well as the agility to solve the challenges of deployment and operation of Internet-scale applications. The .NET Framework consists of three main parts: the common language runtime, a hierarchical set of unified class libraries, and a componentized version of ASP called ASP.NET. See also: ASP.NET, common language runtime, .NET Framework class library.
.NET Framework class library
A library of classes, interfaces, and value types that are included in the .NET Framework SDK. This library provides access to system functionality and is designed to be the foundation on which .NET Framework applications, components, and controls are built. See also: class, CLS-compliant, Common Language Specification, interface, value type.
.NET Framework data provider
A component of ADO.NET that provides access to data from a relational data source. A .NET Framework data provider contains classes to connect to a data source, execute commands at the data source, and return query results from the data source, including the ability to execute commands within transactions. A .NET Framework data provider also contains classes to populate a DataSet with results from a data source and propagate changes in a DataSet back to the data source.
accelerator editor
A resource editor that allows you to add, delete, change, or browse the shortcut key assignments for your project.
access control list (ACL)
A list that specifies the rules for access to a particular resource. Microsoft Windows NT implements user-based ACLs, which specify the resources available to a particular user.
actions pane
A customizable document-level task pane in Microsoft Office Word and Microsoft Office Excel.
Active Template Library
A collection of C++ templates to help users create Component Object Model (COM) objects.
ActiveX control
A control, such as a check box or button that offers options to users or runs macros or scripts that automate a task. You can write macros for the control in Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications or scripts in Microsoft Script Editor.
add-in
In the .NET Framework add-in programming model, the add-in application assembly that communicates with a host application over a communication pipeline. See also: host, pipeline.
add-in view
In the .NET Framework add-in programming model, an assembly that contains interfaces or abstract base classes, and represents the add-in’s view of the methods and types used to communicate with a host. See also: add-in, host.
add-in-side adapter
In the .NET Framework add-in programming model, an assembly that contains one or more classes, and converts data to and from the add-in view and the contract. Depending on the direction of the call, the adapter is either converting from a view to a contract or from a contract to a view. See also: add-in, contract.
ADO.NET
The suite of data access technologies included in the .NET Framework class libraries that provide access to relational data and XML. ADO.NET consists of classes that make up the DataSet (such as tables, rows, columns, relations, and so on), .NET Framework data providers, and custom type definitions (such as SqlTypes for SQL Server).
adorner
A special glyph on the design surface. Adorners are usually attached to a target control, and they give the user a graphical means of adjusting the control’s properties.
AfxFreeLibrary
A function called by MFC applications after they explicitly linked to a DLL module when that module is no longer needed. This function decrements the module’s reference count and, if the reference count is zero, unmaps it from the address space of the process.
AfxLoadLibrary
A library that is used by MFC applications when linking to an extension DLL.
aggregate event
In WMI, a type of event that is generated after a series of events of another type have occurred. An aggregate event is used to represent a series of events to avoid flooding the event consumer. See also: event, event consumer.
alpha channel
In GDI+, the portion of pixel color data reserved for transparency information.
anchoring
The way of determining the edges of a parent control to which a control is bound and how a control is resized with its parent. Anchoring and docking are mutually exclusive. See also: docking.
anonymous method
A code block that is passed as a parameter to a delegate.
anonymous type
A class type whose name is generated by the compiler and that inherits directly from Object. Members of an anonymous type are properties that are inferred from the object initializer that creates instances of the type.
application base
The directory where the .exe file that loads into the initial or default application domain is located. If you create your own application domain, the application base is the location you specify in the AppDomainSetup class. See also: application domain.
application domain (AppDomain)
A boundary that the common language runtime establishes around objects created within the same application scope (that is, anywhere along the sequence of object activations beginning with the application entry point). Application domains help isolate objects created in one application from those created in other applications so that run-time behavior is predictable. Multiple application domains can exist in a single process.
application manifest
The file used in ClickOnce applications that describes the application and all of its constituent files.
application service
In ASP.NET, built-in functionality for common application tasks. ASP.NET includes application services for authentication (ASP.NET membership), persistent per-user information (profile properties), and more.
application state
In ASP.NET, a variable store that is created on the server for the current application and is shared by all users. Application state is typically used to store information that is used for all users, such as application-wide settings.
application-level add-in
A supplemental program that modifies or adds functionality to an existing program or application. The modifications are available to the application at all times.
ASP.NET
A set of technologies in the Microsoft .NET Framework for building Web applications and Web services. ASP.NET pages execute on the server and generate markup (such as HTML, WML, or XML) that is sent to a desktop or mobile browser. ASP.NET pages use a compiled, event-driven programming model that improves performance and enables the separation of application logic and user interface. ASP.NET pages and Web services files created using ASP.NET contain server-side (rather than client-side) logic written in Visual Basic, C#, or any .NET-compatible language. Web applications and Web services take advantage of the features of the common language runtime, such as type safety, inheritance, language interoperability, versioning, and integrated security.
ASP.NET application services database
In ASP.NET, a database that stores the data for several ASP.NET application services, including membership, Web Parts personalization, roles, and profiles. The database can be a local database in the Web site’s App_Data folder or a SQL Server or other database, depending on how the site is configured.
ASP.NET mobile controls
A set of ASP.NET controls designed for mobile Web applications. ASP.NET mobile controls extend their ASP.NET server control counterparts.
ASP.NET mobile Web Forms
Extensions to ASP.NET Web Forms that target mobile devices from cell phones to Pocket PCs.
ASP.NET page
A component of an ASP.NET application.
ASP.NET server control
A server-side component that encapsulates user interface and related functionality. An ASP.NET server control derives directly or indirectly from the System.Web.UI.Control class. The superset of ASP.NET server controls includes Web server controls, HTML server controls, and ASP.NET mobile controls. The page syntax for an ASP.NET server control includes a runat=”server” attribute on the control’s tag. See also: HTML server control, validation server controls, Web server control.
ASP.NET Web application
An application that processes HTTP requests (Web requests) and executes on top of ASP.NET. An ASP.NET Web application can include ASP.NET pages, Web services, HTTP handlers, and HTTP modules.
assembly
A collection of one or more files that are versioned and deployed as a unit. An assembly is the primary building block of a .NET Framework application. All managed types and resources are contained within an assembly and are marked either as accessible only within the assembly or as accessible from code in other assemblies. Assemblies also play a key role in security. The code access security system uses information about the assembly to determine the set of permissions that code in the assembly is granted. See also: private assembly, shared assembly.
assembly cache
A code cache used for side-by-side storage of assemblies. There are two parts to the cache: the global assembly cache contains assemblies that are explicitly installed to be shared among many applications on the computer; the download cache stores code downloaded from Internet or intranet sites, isolated to the application that caused the download so that code downloaded on behalf of one application or page does not impact other applications. See also: global assembly cache.
assembly manifest
An integral part of every assembly that renders the assembly self-describing. The assembly manifest contains the assembly’s metadata. The manifest establishes the assembly identity, specifies the files that make up the assembly implementation, specifies the types and resources that make up the assembly, itemizes the compile-time dependencies on other assemblies, and specifies the set of permissions required for the assembly to run properly. This information is used at run time to resolve references, enforce version binding policy, and validate the integrity of loaded assemblies. The self-describing nature of assemblies also helps makes zero-impact install and XCOPY deployment feasible. See also: assembly, metadata.
assembly metadata
See other term: assembly manifest
assertion (Assert)
In .NET Framework security, helps to make sure that a method has access to a particular resource even if the method’s callers do not have the required permission. During a stack walk, if a stack frame asserting the required permission is encountered, a security check for that permission will succeed. Assertions can create security holes and should be used only with extreme caution.
association
In the ADO.NET Entity Framework, the definition of a relationship between entity types.
association class
In WMI, a class that describes a relationship between two classes or between instances of two classes. The properties of an association class include pointers, or references, to the two classes or instances. The Association qualifier is attached to every association class for identification.
association line
In Class Designer, a line that shows that two types are related. The line represents a field or property and leads from the type that contains the member to the field or property’s type.
association set
In the ADO.NET Entity Framework, a logical container for instances of associations of the same type.
ASSOCIATORS OF
A WMI Query Language statement that supports the traversal of associations programmatically by retrieving all endpoint instances that are associated with a particular source instance. See also: GROUP, HAVING, ISA, REFERENCES OF, SELECT, WHERE, WITHIN.
asynchronous communication layer
In ASP.NET, the layer of AJAX functionality that takes care of communication between the browser and the server.
asynchronous method
A method call that returns to the caller immediately regardless of whether processing has completed. The results of processing are returned through another call on another thread. Asynchronous methods free the caller from having to wait until processing has finished. See also: semisynchronous method.
asynchronous postback
In ASP.NET, the process of sending Web page data (plus viewstate and other necessary metadata) from the browser to the server without a complete postback and without blocking the user from continuing to work in the page. Asynchronous postbacks are an important feature of AJAX technology.
ATL
See other term: Active Template Library
attribute
A descriptive declaration that can be applied to programming elements such as types, fields, methods, and properties. Attributes are saved with the metadata of a .NET Framework file and can be used to describe code to the common language runtime or to affect application behavior at run time.
authentication
In .NET Framework security, the process of discovering and verifying the identity of a principal by examining the user’s credentials against some authority. See also: principal.
authorization
In .NET Framework security, the process of limiting access rights by granting or denying specific permissions to an authenticated identity or principal. See also: authentication, principal.
auto-hide button
A button that appears on the edge of a frame when a window is in auto-hide mode. The hidden window pane appears when the mouse cursor hovers over the button.
autopostback
In ASP.NET server controls, a setting that causes the control to submit the page when the user interacts with the control. (By default, only button controls cause a postback.) For example, if a DropDownList control is set to perform autopostback, the page is submitted as soon as a user selects an item from the list. See also: ASP.NET server control.
bounds
The size and location of an object.
boxing
The conversion of a value type instance to an object, which implies that the instance will carry full type information at run time and will be allocated in the heap. The Microsoft intermediate language (MSIL) instruction set’s box instruction converts a value type to an object by making a copy of the value type and embedding it in a newly allocated object. See also: Microsoft intermediate language, unboxing, value type.
build log
The recorded text output of a Visual Studio build, often indicating command lines issued and status of each step in the build process. For a C++ build, this file is called BuildLog.htm.
C#
A programming language designed for building enterprise applications that run on the .NET Framework. C#, which is an evolution of C and C++, is type safe and object oriented. Because it is compiled as managed code, it benefits from the services of the common language runtime, such as language interoperability, security, and garbage collection.
caption
See title bar.
caption bar
A static pane that can display one or more of the following objects: a button, a text label, and an image.
caption button
A button that is displayed on the caption bar of a dockable pane or mini-frame window.
card
A Web page in WML. WML devices can either display the contents of a card on a single screen or, when necessary, provide scroll bars so that the entire contents of the card can be viewed. Developers do not need to worry about manipulating cards or decks (groups of cards) because ASP.NET mobile controls handle formatting (including pagination) for targeted devices. See also: deck, WML.
catalog
A list of Web Parts controls (or other Web server, custom server, or user controls), created by a System.Web.UI.WebControls.CatalogPart control, that users can add to a Web Parts page. See also: Web Parts controls, Web Parts page.
CCW
See other term: COM callable wrapper (CCW)
chevron
The double angle bracket denoting an overflow button control.
chrome
The common user interface elements rendered around each Web Parts part control within a given zone. The chrome for a part control includes a border, a title bar, and the icons, title text, and verbs menu that appear within the title bar. The appearance of the chrome is set at the zone level and applies to all part controls in a zone. The rendering of chrome and of individual System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts.WebPart controls is handled by the System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts.WebPartChrome class. See also: part controls, Web Parts controls, zone.
cHTML
A markup language used on some cell phones. cHTML is a subset of HTML with additional tags to enhance mobile functionality.
CIM
See other term: Common Information Model (CIM)
CIM Object Manager
A component in the WMI infrastructure that handles the interaction between management applications and providers. The CIM Object Manager supports services such as event notification, remote access, and query processing. The CIM Object Manager also grants access to the WMI repository.
CIM schema
In WMI, a collection of class definitions used to represent managed objects that occur in every management environment. See also: schema.
class
A reference type that encapsulates data (constants and fields) and behavior (methods, properties, indexers, events, operators, instance constructors, static constructors, and destructors), and can contain nested types. Class types support inheritance, a mechanism whereby a derived class can extend and specialize a base class. See also: encapsulation, indexer, property, reference type.
Class Designer
A visual design environment that enables you to visualize the structure of classes and other types. The Class Designer also enables you to edit the source code of classes and types through these visual representations.
Classic mode
In IIS 7.0, a configuration in which request processing emulates the model used in IIS 6.0. In Classic mode, IIS receives requests and dispatches them to ISAPI components according to mapped file name extensions. IIS and the process that handles the request run as separate processes. For example, requests for ASP.NET resources are dispatched to the aspnet_isapi.dll component.
ClickOnce deployment
A deployment method that enables you to publish Windows-based applications to a Web server or network file share for simplified installation.
client application services
In Windows-based applications, built-in functionality to access ASP.NET application services for common application tasks, including remote login, roles, and application settings.
client area
The portion of a Windows-based application excluding toolbars, menus, and status bars.
client coordinates
The coordinates in which the X and Y screen position are specified relative to the upper-left corner of the application, which is regarded as the origin (0,0). In Right-to-Left (RTL) applications, the upper-right corner is the origin. See also: right to left (RTL).
cliext
The namespace for STL/CLR containers, iterators, and algorithms
clip
The area of the screen or page that enables graphics output.
closed generic type
A constructed generic type that has no unspecified generic type parameters, either of its own or of any enclosing types or methods. Closed generic types can be instantiated. See also: constructed type, generics, generic type, generic type parameter, open generic type.
CLR
See other term: common language runtime
CLS
See other term: Common Language Specification (CLS)
CLS-compliant
Code that publicly exposes only language features that are in the Common Language Specification. CLS compliance can apply to classes, interfaces, components, and tools. See also: Common Language Specification (CLS).
code access security
A mechanism provided by the common language runtime whereby managed code is granted permissions by security policy and these permissions are enforced, helping to limit the operations that the code will be allowed to perform.
code-behind class
A class that is accessed by an .aspx file, but resides in a separate file (such as a .dll or .cs file). For example, you can write a code-behind class that creates an ASP.NET custom server control, contains code that is called from an .aspx file, but does not reside within the .aspx file.
code-behind file
A code file containing the page class that implements the program logic of a Web Forms or ASP.NET mobile Web Forms application.
code-behind page
See other term: code-behind file
color menu button
A button that drops down to expose a color palette when a user clicks it.
color picker
A control that allows a user to select a color.
COM callable wrapper (CCW)
A proxy object generated by the common language runtime so that existing COM applications can use managed classes, including .NET Framework classes, transparently.
COM interop
A service that enables .NET Framework objects to communicate with COM objects.
Common Information Model (CIM)
In WMI, the model that describes how to represent real-world managed objects. CIM uses an object-oriented paradigm, where managed objects are modeled using the concepts of classes and instances. The CIM is divided into the metamodel and the standard schema. The metamodel describes what types of entities make up the schema. It also defines how these entities can be combined into objects that represent real-world devices.
common language runtime
The engine at the core of managed code execution. The runtime supplies managed code with services such as cross-language integration, code access security, object lifetime management, and debugging and profiling support.
common language runtime host
An unmanaged application that uses a set of APIs, called the hosting interfaces, to integrate managed code into the application. Common language runtime hosts often require a high degree of customization over the runtime that is loaded into the process. The hosting interfaces allow common language runtime hosts to specify settings that configure the garbage collector, select the appropriate build for their environment (server versus workstation), and so on. Common language runtime hosts often support an extensibility model that allows the end user to dynamically add new pieces of functionality, such as a new control or a user-written function. These extensions are typically isolated from each other in the process using application domains and custom security settings. Examples of common language runtime hosts include ASP.NET, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and a host to run executables launched from the Windows Shell. See also: application domain, common language runtime, managed code.
Common Language Specification (CLS)
A subset of language features supported by the common language runtime, including features common to several object-oriented programming languages. CLS-compliant components and tools are guaranteed to interoperate with other CLS-compliant components and tools. See also: CLS-compliant.
common object file format (COFF)
A format in 32-bit programming for executable (image) and object files that is portable across platforms. The Microsoft implementation is called portable executable (PE) file format. See also: portable executable (PE) file.
common type system
The specification that determines how the common language runtime defines, uses, and manages types.
communication pipeline
See other term: pipeline
comparison evaluator
A filter that compares a device capability name to a value. See also: device capabilities.
compiland
The basic unit of compilation or translation. A project usually consists of several compilands (for example, .c and .cpp files) that are compiled to produce a corresponding object file. See also function.
component tray
A rectangular region that appears at the bottom of the Windows Forms Designer when it is in Design view. The component tray is a container for components, which are controls that are not visible. It appears only after a component is added to the current form.
composite control
A custom server control that consists of a custom collection of other server controls as child controls.
conceptual model
An abstract specification for the entity types, associations, entity containers, entity sets, and association sets in the domain of an application built on the ADO.NET Entity Framework.
conceptual schema definition language (CSDL)
An XML-based language that is used to define the entity types, associations, entity containers, entity sets, and association sets of a conceptual model.
configuration file
An XML file with the .config extension that contains option settings for an application or Web site. Common configuration files include Machine.config and Web.config.
connection
See other term: Web Parts connection
connection point
A System.Web.UI.WebControls.WebParts.ConnectionPoint object associated with the provider and consumer controls that participate in Web Parts connections. A connection point manages the exchange of data between the controls. Providers and consumers each have their own connection points. See also: consumer, provider, Web Parts connection.
constraint
See other term: generic type parameter constraint
constructed generic type
A generic type whose generic type parameters have been specified. A constructed type or method can be an open generic type if some of its type arguments are type parameters of enclosing types or methods, or a closed generic type if all of its type arguments are real types. See also: closed generic type, generics, generic type, generic type argument, generic type parameter, open generic type.
constructed type
See other term: constructed generic type
consumer
In a Web Parts connection, a server control that receives data from a provider control and processes or displays it. A consumer can be any type of server control, but must be designed to function as a consumer. A consumer must have a special callback method marked with a ConnectionConsumerAttribute attribute in the source code. This method receives data from the provider in the form of an interface instance. See also: connection point, provider, Web Parts connection.
container
See other term: naming container
container control
A type of ASP.NET mobile control that contains other controls and provides visual groupings of controls and content.
content control
A control that defines an area of a Microsoft Office Word document in which text and specific types of data can be displayed, or in which user input is restricted.
content page
In ASP.NET, a Web page that is configured to be merged with a master page to create a complete page. See also: master page.
context
An ordered sequence of properties that define an environment for the objects that resides inside it. Contexts are created during the activation process for objects that are configured to require certain automatic services such as synchronization, transactions, just-in-time activation, security, and so on. Multiple objects can live inside a context.
context property
The implicit state, and code to manage that state, held on behalf of an object instance. For example, the transaction context property holds the transaction identifier of the transaction that the object is participating in.
contract
The behavior and state that a class provides, which is matched with what a client of that class can expect to hold. A contract is expressed partly by the signatures for all public fields, methods, properties, and events of that class. This is augmented by a description (usually in simple descriptive text) of what each field or property represents, together with what each method does. In the .NET Framework add-in programming model, a non-versioning interface that defines the methods and specifies the data types for transferring data over the communication pipeline between the host and the add-in. The contract is in the middle of the communication pipeline between the add-in and the host. The contract assembly is loaded into the application domains of both the add-in and the host. See also: add-in, host, pipeline.
control state
A field in an ASP.NET Web page that stores the current property settings for server controls on the page. Control state is used to recreate the page and reestablish previous settings on each postback. See also: ASP.NET page, ASP.NET server control, postback, view state.
cross-page posting
In ASP.NET Web pages, the process of submitting a page to a specified target page in contrast to submitting the page to itself. See also: postback.
CSDL
See other term: conceptual schema definition language
CTS
See other term: common type system
custom attribute (Attribute)
A class used to represent custom metadata. See also: attribute.
custom build rule
A build rule defined by the user, typically to call a tool that is not part of the normal Visual Studio build process.
custom control
A control authored by a user or a third-party software vendor that does not belong to the .NET Framework class library. This is a generic term that also includes user controls. Custom server controls are used in Web Forms (ASP.NET pages). Custom client controls are used in Windows Forms applications.
data binding
The process or method for configuring controls on a form or Web page to fetch data from or write data to a data source such as a database, XML file, and so on.
data source control
An object that can be added to an ASP.NET Web page that encapsulates the logic required to connect to a data source, such as a database or XML file, and that can execute queries or other data-access commands. A data source control can in turn provide data to other controls on that page.
Dataset Designer
A set of visual tools for creating and editing typed datasets and the individual items that make up datasets.
Datastore
A set of XML files on your desktop computer that contains information about the platforms, devices, emulators, and packages that are installed on the computer. The Datastore is part of Core Connectivity and is installed with Microsoft Visual Studio or Microsoft Platform Builder. The contents of the Datastore are modified whenever you install an SDK that is based on Windows CE such as Windows Mobile.
deadlock
In multithreading, a condition in which each of two threads holds a lock that the other thread needs in order to proceed. See also: synchronization.
deck
A group of one or more cards. See also: card.
declarative security check
Declarative security information in metadata. Developers can use such declarations, which are usually written as custom attributes, to invoke several kinds of security functionality: require permissions to bind reference to the code, require permissions to derive a type, demand that callers have certain permissions, and so on. See also: imperative security check.
decoupled provider
A provider hosted in a separate process from WMI. Decoupled providers are the recommended way to instrument an application because the provider can control its own lifetime instead of being launched every time a user accesses the provider through WMI. See also: provider.
default unit system
The process that determines when a Web page control should appear on a new page, based on a mobile device’s characteristics. The default unit system is based on one line equaling 100 units, as indicated by the DefaultWeight field in the ControlPager class.
deferred query
The characteristic of a LINQ query that it is not executed until it is iterated through a call to its IEnumerator.MoveNext method. The method call may occur directly, indirectly through a foreach (C#) or For Each (Visual Basic) statement, or through a call to a Standard Query Operator method such as Max, Average, Count, ToArray, or ToList.
delegate
In the .NET Framework, a reference to a function. A delegate is equivalent to a function pointer. See also: reference type.
delegated evaluator
A filter that uses a custom method to evaluate the specified data.
denial
By denying a permission, a method can prevent its callers from exercising the privilege represented by that permission. If a method on the call stack denies permission A, a stack walk checking for permission A will fail unless a valid assertion is found on the stack between the method doing the denial and the method that initiated the check for permission A. See also: assertion.
denial of service attack
An attack on a server exposed to the Internet that consumes excessive time, memory, or other resources. The attack intends to prevent rightful access to resources.
deployment manifest
The file used in ClickOnce applications that describes the current version of this deployment, and whether it should be installed on the client computer or only run online.
desktop alert window
Window that pops up on the Windows desktop in response to an event, for example, receiving email.
device adapter
An ASP.NET page framework class that adapts the behavior of mobile pages and controls based on the target device.
device capabilities
The set of device functionality available through the HasCapability method or the <Choice> element.</Choice>
device coordinates
The coordinates used by the physical device being drawn on, such as a screen or sheet of paper.
device definition
The characteristics of a device available through the MobileCapabilities class and the DeviceSpecific control.
device filter
A section of the Web.config file where you specify values for specific mobile devices. These values are used to create device-specific content.
direct access
A way of accessing properties and methods supplied by WMI in a script as if they were automation properties and methods of an object instance.
discriminator property
A column in a database table that contains a value that determines which class any given record belongs to.
display mode
The different display states that a Web Parts page can enter, which enable users to modify a page in specified ways. The states that ship with the Web Parts control set are: catalog, connect, design, edit, and browse. The default or normal mode for a Web page is browse. Developers can extend this display mode feature by adding custom display modes, which requires extending the WebPartManager class. See also: Web Parts control set, Web Parts page.
docking
The way of determining which control borders are set flush with their parent control and how a control is resized with its parent. Docking and anchoring are mutually exclusive. See also: anchoring.
document colors
A portion of the color bar that allows the user to select one color from the set of colors in the current document.
document-level customization
A supplemental program that modifies or adds functionality to an existing program or application, but only when a specific document is open.
download cache
See other term: assembly cache
dynamic control
A Web Parts control that is persisted in a personalization store; it does not appear in the declarative markup of an .aspx page. After it has been added to a page, the WebPartManager control automatically creates an instance of the control from the personalization store on future requests. See also: Web Parts controls.
Dynamic Data
In ASP.NET, a framework that facilitates the creation of data-driven Web applications. Dynamic Data uses customizable page and field templates, scaffolding, user-definable metadata, and convention-based naming to create UI that displays data, lets users navigate relationships between tables, and lets users edit and create data (CRUD operations). See also: scaffolding.
edit browse control
An edit box control that allows the user to browse and select files and directories.
element initializer
An object initializer that is defined within a collection initializer.
embedded resource
The files used by an application that are stored in binary format in the compiled application.
encapsulation
The ability of an object to hide its internal data and methods, making only the intended parts of the object programmatically accessible.
encoding class
A class that represents a character encoding.
End
In the ASO.NET Entity Framework, a participating entity in an association.
entity
A class or object that represents application data such as customers, products, and orders.
entity container
In the ADO.NET Entity Framework, specifies entity sets and association sets that will be implemented in a specified namespace.
Entity Data Model
A data model for defining application data as sets of entities and relationships to which common language runtime types and storage structures can be mapped.
Entity Framework
A set of technologies that supports the development of data-oriented software applications by enabling developers to work with conceptual models that are mapped to logical schemas in data sources.
entity set
In the ADO.NET Entity Framework, a logical container for entities of a given type and its subtypes, mapped to tables in a database.
Entity SQL
A storage-independent, SQL-like language that works directly with conceptual entity schemas and that supports entity data model features such as inheritance and relationships.
entity type
In the ADO.NET Entity Framework, a specification for a data type that includes a named set of properties and represents a top-level item in a data model.
enum (enumeration)
A list of named constants.
event
In WMI, an occurrence of a change to static or dynamic data related to a managed object.
event consumer
In WMI, a recipient of notifications that report an occurrence of an event. An event consumer is either temporary or permanent. See also: event, permanent consumer, temporary consumer.
event consumer provider
In WMI, a provider that determines which permanent event consumer handles a given event. See also: event, permanent consumer.
event filter
In WMI, a filter that registers to receive notification of a specific type of event. See also: event.
event provider
A WMI provider that monitors a source of events and notifies WMI when events occur. See also: event.
event query
A WMI Query Language statement that event consumers use to register to receive notification of specific events. An event provider uses an event query to register to generate notifications of specific events. See also: event, event consumer.
Event-based Asynchronous Pattern
A design pattern that uses events to expose asynchronous features of a class.
evidence
The properties of code, such as a digital signature or the zone or site of its origin, that are used by security policy to grant permissions to code. See also: security policy.
Exception Assistant
A Visual Studio debugging tool that provides information about the cause of an exception in a Visual Basic or Visual C# program.
executable file
A file in portable executable (PE) file format that can be loaded into memory and executed by the operating system loader. It can be either an .exe or a .dll file. In the .NET context, a PE file must be translated by the common language runtime into native code before it can be executed by the operating system. See also: portable executable (PE) file.
executable file
The top-most level of the executable image.
explicit interface implementation
A class or structure member that is accessible only through the interface that the class or structure implements.
extender control
In ASP.NET, a control that encapsulates functionality that is implemented in JavaScript and that defines behavior in the browser. Extender controls are associated with existing Web server controls to add the extender’s behavior to that control. For example, an extender control can add a watermark to any TextBox control or drag-and-drop behavior to a variety of ASP.NET Web server controls.
Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML)
A markup language for declarative application programming. XAML simplifies creating a UI for the Windows Presentation Foundation programming model. You can create visible UI elements in the declarative XAML markup, and then separate the UI definition from the run-time logic by using code-behind files, joined to the markup through partial class definitions.
Extensible Markup Language (XML)
A subset of Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) that is optimized for delivery over the Web. XML provides a uniform method for describing and exchanging structured data that is independent of applications or vendors.
extension method
A static method that can be invoked by using instance method syntax. In effect, extension methods make it possible to extend existing types and constructed types with additional methods.
external style
A style in an external style sheet. See also: external style sheet.
external style sheet
A style sheet defined in a user control in an .ascx file. See also: external style.
field
A member that represents a variable associated with an object or class.
flavor
A WMI-defined flag that describes the behavior of a qualifier. WMI flavors describe rules that specify whether a qualifier can be propagated to derived classes and instances and whether a derived class or instance can override the qualifier’s original value.
flow layout
A way of designing a form in which all elements are positioned one immediately after the other.
foreign key
A key in a database table that comes from another table. This key refers to a specific key, usually the primary key, in the table being used.
form region
A customizable extension to Microsoft Office Outlook forms.
Framework
See other term: .NET Framework
FreeLibrary
A function that processes call after they explicitly linked to a DLL module when that module is no longer needed. This function decrements the module’s reference count and, if the reference count is zero, unmaps it from the address space of the process.
friend assembly
An assembly that is permitted to access another assembly’s types and members.
GAC
See other term: global assembly cache
gamma correction
The process of adjusting an image input signal to correctly display on a particular device.
garbage collection (GC)
The process of transitively tracing through all pointers to actively used objects in order to locate all objects that can be referenced, and then arranging to reuse any heap memory that was not found during this trace. The common language runtime garbage collector also compacts the memory that is in use to reduce the working space needed for the heap. See also: heap.
GDI+
The portion of the Microsoft Windows XP operating system that provides two-dimensional vector graphics, imaging, and typography. GDI+ improves on GDI (the graphics device interface included with earlier versions of Windows) by adding new features and optimizing existing features. The GDI+ managed class interface (a set of wrappers) is part of the Microsoft .NET Framework.
generic class
See other term: generic type
generic interface
See other term: generic type